[ES_JOBS_NET] Data Scientist - Vessel Tracking and Behavior at Global Fishing Watch (Remote)

Tue Apr 23 17:10:51 MDT 2024

Global Fishing Watch (GFW) is an international, nonprofit organization
advancing transparency of human activity at sea to improve the management
of our ocean. We do research, develop technology, and publicly share data
about human activities and associated impact to enable a fair and
sustainable use of our ocean. Founded in 2015 through a collaboration
between Oceana, SkyTruth, and Google, GFW became an independent
organization in June 2017. Using machine learning, cloud computing and
satellite data, we have produced the first global mapping of industrial
fishing and energy development across the ocean. By 2030, we aim to map the
activity of most ocean-going vessels and offshore infrastructure, all the
way from small-scale and industrial fishing to transport and energy
activities. We believe human activity at sea should be public knowledge in
order to safeguard the global ocean commons for the benefit of all.

Location: Remote

Team: Research and Innovation

*The Position*

The Research and Innovation team at Global Fishing Watch (GFW) connects
data science and machine learning experts with leaders in the scientific
community to produce new datasets, publish impactful research, and empower
others to use our data. Our work aims to harness satellite imagery,
computer vision, and big data technology to address some of the most
pressing issues facing the marine environment.

We aim to reveal the activity of all ocean-going vessels in the world.
Global Fishing Watch has a database of over 10 years of GPS positions,
containing over 100 billion GPS positions from nearly half a million
vessels. This data consists mostly of messages from the Automatic
Identification System (AIS), but also includes a few tens of thousands of
vessels from private vessel monitoring systems (VMS), as well as a small
but increasing number of other types of tracking devices.

This database serves as the foundation for all of Global Fishing Watch’s
work. Using this dataset, which is updated daily as new data arrives, GFW
applies numerous algorithms, including machine learning algorithms that
determine the type of vessel as well as its activity. In addition, many
types of filters need to be applied to eliminate noise and properly combine
positions into reasonable tracks of vessels.

The data scientist will play a key role supporting the Research and
Innovation team’s work to maintain, update, and improve the key algorithms
underpinning how GFW processes this database. Working closely with the GFW
engineering and product teams, this person will gain a deep understanding
of how to process and combine GPS data at scale to reveal insights about
human activity at sea. Also important will be the need to perform data
fusion to combine this dataset with other sources. This data fusion
includes combining different GPS datasets and combining the dataset with
detections of vessels from satellite imagery. There is also an opportunity
to work closely with GFW’s machine learning engineers to review and update
our key behavioral algorithms. This dataset flows directly into GFW’s core
products, facilitates GFW’s direct engagement with governments, and it
supports the numerous scientific publications that our research program
supports.

The successful candidate will have an interest in environmental issues and
a versatile skill set in geospatial analysis, statistics and programming.
The incumbent will build diverse technical skills in programming, big data,
and cloud computing and gain a variety of experience working for a globally
diverse, fully distributed, and growing organization. The successful
candidate will also have an enthusiasm for inspecting datasets, visualizing
them, and digging deeply into understanding model results.

*Principal Duties and Responsibilities*

Geospatial data processing, fusion, and analysis

   - Advance GFW’s core GPS processing algorithms and datasets. Possible
   tasks include:
      - Improving how we identify false AIS positions due to noise in the
      dataset.
      - Developing methods to interpolate activity between known GPS
      positions.
      - Modifying key algorithms for different data sources (largely AIS
      and VMS).
   - Improve and implement behavioral algorithms to detect key activities
   of vessels at sea, including:
      - When vessels visit port visits and anchorages.
      - When vessels meet up at sea (see Miller et al. 2018
      <https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2018.00240/full>
      ).
      - Fishing events and other key behaviors from our dataset.
   - Share updates to these algorithms with the wider GFW staff and
   partners through clear documentation and communication.

Additional tasks may include

   - Provide technical support to the senior data scientist(s) responsible
   for developing and advancing other Global Fishing Watch datasets.

   - Maintain and improve internal Python tools, such as modules and
   template repositories, to assist with migrating research projects from
   proof-of-concepts to automated prototypes.
   - Work with GFW’s research partners to publish high impact science.
   - Support GFW’s team of analysts in their efforts to support better
   governance.

*Candidate description:*

Qualifications you should have

   - Bachelor's degree and four years of professional experience, or an
   equivalent combination of education and experience, in physical/earth
   sciences, computational science, statistics, fisheries, quantitative
   ecology, or engineering.
   - Experience developing analysis methods with Python or R.
   - Strong foundation in mathematics and statistics.
   - Ability to work with large datasets and visualize data effectively.
   - Experience with version control software and collaboration tools such
   as git and GitHub.
   - Highly organized, analytical, detail oriented, and self-motivated.
   - Ability to work efficiently and with an eye for detail.
   - Willingness to take ownership of projects and effectively communicate
   updates in a transparent and proactive manner.
   - Ability to manage multiple priorities while performing in a
   fast-paced, collaborative environment.
   - Some experience with SQL languages.

Also great

   - Experience engaging with academic research and the peer-review process.
   - An understanding of how to collaborate in a global and remote
   organization.
   - Experience analyzing tracking or spatiotemporal data.

The successful candidate will meet most, but not necessarily all, of the
criteria above. If you don’t think you check all the boxes, but believe you
have unique skills that make you a great fit for the role, we want to hear
from you!

If you don't think you check all the boxes, but believe you have unique
skills that make you a great fit for the role, we want to hear from you!

*Hiring Process:*

*To Apply:* Please submit the application at
https://boards.greenhouse.io/globalfishingwatch/jobs/5942158003

*Please apply by May 3rd, 2024If selected for consideration, the hiring
process for this position will include a formal 60 minute interview with
2-3 staff followed by a 30 minute administrative call by an Human Resources
manager. Candidates advancing beyond this round may be asked to take a
technical assessment and/or submit a representative code sample. Lastly, an
informal 45- 60 minute call with 3-4 members of the hiring team will be
held with finalists. *

*Compensation: The compensation range for a US-based employee is $90,000 -
100,000 per year. Compensation is commensurate with experience and will
vary depending on the hired candidate’s country of residence, in accordance
with local laws and regulations. The position may be a GFW employee or
consultant, depending on the country of residence. While we are unable to
provide a compensation range here for all countries, we will be happy to
discuss a range when we know the desired location of our active candidates.
GFW offers pension/retirement, health and other benefits commensurate with
similar level GFW employees in the country of employment. The position may
be a GFW employee or consultant, depending on the country of residence.*

*Working Hours: Global Fishing Watch supports flexible working, so the
pattern of hours may vary according to operational and personal needs.
Global Fishing Watch works across different time zones and weekend work may
be required on occasion. The post holder may be required to undertake
periodic domestic and international travel. No overtime is payable.*

*Where We Work: Please be advised that Global Fishing Watch is only able to
hire candidates in the countries where we currently operate. Our country
list includes: Argentina, Australia, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, Chile,
Colombia, Costa Rica, Fiji, France, Gabon, Germany, Ghana, Indonesia,
Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, Panama, Philippines, Senegal, Spain, Sri
Lanka, Taiwan, UK, USA*

*Equal Opportunities: GFW is an equal opportunities employer. We hire and
promote qualified professionals without regard to actual or perceived race,
color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, national origin, age,
disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We
believe that our mission is best advanced when welcoming the contributions
of people of diverse backgrounds, beliefs and cultures. We are committed to
providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all employees of GFW
and our partners, vendors, suppliers and contractors.*

-- 
*Zihan Wei* (He/him/his)
*Data Scientist (Geospatial), Research and Innovation*
------------------------------
Web globalfishingwatch.org
Email zihan.wei at globalfishingwatch.org
<https://www.linkedin.com/company/global-fishing-watch>
<https://twitter.com/GlobalFishWatch>
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<https://www.facebook.com/GlobalFishingWatch>
<https://www.instagram.com/globalfishingwatch/>
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